EXC 1023: ImmunoSensation: The Immune Sensory System

免疫系统对维持健康至关重要，在大多数疾病中起着关键作用。先天免疫的核心是模式识别受体（这里是免疫感应受体），它检测组织损伤的外来微生物分子或改变的自身分子。免疫感应受体的激活启动了通常保护宿主的防御和修复机制。然而，这些反应的失调可引起一系列炎症性疾病。近年来，人们发现在大多数体细胞中都存在特定的免疫感知受体，并且代谢状态和神经元输入紧密结合，先天免疫已经超越了经典免疫学的界限。卓越集群通过将波恩大学的先天免疫与感觉系统研究（分子感觉系统，CAESAR），神经生物学（德国神经退行性疾病中心，DZNE），数学（应用数学研究所）以及代谢和免疫（生命与医学科学研究所，LIMES）的专业知识联系起来，解决了这一概念。这些相互作用导致了免疫传感领域的许多重要发现，即炎症小体研究，核酸、凝集素和树突状细胞的免疫识别，肝脏和肠道的局部免疫调节，免疫细胞迁移，内源性大麻素系统以及代谢和先天免疫的十字路口。现在很明显，免疫感知与现代社会的许多与生活方式相关的疾病有关，如动脉粥样硬化、代谢综合征和糖尿病、神经变性和癌症。卓越集群正在应对这些挑战和这一新兴领域的巨大潜力。招募更多的科学家和建立跨机构技术平台将促进我们更好地了解免疫传感受体及其配体，它们受局部和系统环境的调节，以及感觉输入的整合及其对体内炎症的影响。连同其在早期职业支持和性别平等方面的有力措施，卓越集群已做好充分准备，将成为先天免疫感知的主要中心之一，并最终对人类健康产生持续影响。

The immune system is essential for maintaining health and plays a pivotal role in most diseases. At the core of innate immunity lie pattern recognition receptors (here: immune sensing receptors), which detect foreign microbial molecules or altered self-molecules from tissue damage. The activation of immune sensing receptors initiates defence and repair mechanisms that normally protect the host. However, dysregulation of these responses can cause a range of inflammatory diseases. With the recent discoveries that particular immune sensing receptors are present in most somatic cells and that the metabolic state and neuronal inputs are tightly integrated, innate immunity has developed beyond the boundaries of classical immunology. The Cluster of Excellence addresses this concept by linking innate immunity at the University of Bonn with the expertise in sensory systems research (Molecular Sensory Systems, CAESAR), neurobiology (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, DZNE), mathematics (Institute of Applied Mathematics), and metabolism and immunity (Life & Medical Sciences Institute, LIMES). These interactions have led to a number of important discoveries in the field of immune sensing, namely in inflammasome research, immunorecognition of nucleic acids, lectins and dendritic cells, local immune regulation in the liver and the gut, immune cell migration, the endocannabinoid system and the crossroad of metabolism and innate immunity. It is now evident that immune sensing is involved in many of the lifestyle-associated diseases of modern societies, such as atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, neurodegeneration and cancer. The Cluster of Excellence is addressing these challenges and the great potential of this emerging field. The recruitment of additional scientists and the establishment of cross-institutional technological platforms will catalyse our efforts to better understand immune sensing receptors and their ligands, their regulation by the local and systemic environments, and the integration of sensory input and its consequences for inflammation in vivo. Together with its strong measures for early career support and gender equality, the Cluster of Excellence stands well prepared to become one of the leading centres of innate immune sensing and ultimately to make a sustained impact on human health.